Multi-disciplinary designer Munira AlMulla doesn’t just create furniture – she tells stories through her craft. And her work, much like the city of Dubai itself, spans an intricate mix of past and future. As someone who grew up in the UAE in the 1990s, she has seen the city transform before her eyes, its skyline morphing into the modern metropolis it is today.
Thanks to growing up in such a dynamic environment, as a child, she was captivated by the idea of space. “I saw this huge transformation,” she recalls. “Every single day, going to school, I’d look out the window and see new buildings and skyscrapers. I’d always wonder, ‘How do spaces come to life? Who gets to decide what goes where?’”
Along with her natural curiosity about her surroundings, her family nurtured her innate artistic talents. “Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of sitting in the living room with my dad, sketching palm trees,” she shares. “It was simple but, to me, that was the start of loving design and looking at life from a different perspective.” Even then, she was drawn to the beauty of the UAE and took joy from the way a single detail could tell a story.
Munira’s philosophy is clear – design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about meaning. “I like the idea of preserving cultural narratives in the UAE while making them relevant to modern life. My focus is on functionality and multi-purpose designs that bridge the gap between the past and the future,” she says. “I reinterpret traditional elements rather than just copy-pasting them. It’s about looking at heritage through a creative lens and reimagining how it can exist in a modern context.”
In essence, her work is a love letter to Emirati culture, but her ability to weave storytelling into design has taken her far beyond the borders of the UAE. Showcasing her work internationally, she has become an ambassador for a new wave of Emirati creativity. “When I exhibited in Paris, many people had no idea about our traditions. Through design, we introduced them to a new perspective,” she shares. “This is what it’s about, storytelling and sharing our narrative with the world.”
The global stage, she believes, is finally starting to pay attention. “For so many years, we were influenced by global design, but now we are starting to have our own voice in the industry,” she notes. And that voice is fearless.
Munira is known in the realms of design for pushing boundaries and experimenting with unconventional materials and ideas. “Sometimes, the material leads the design, not the other way around. I experimented with plastic, and the end result reminded me of my childhood, the bubble gum machines and the small neighbourhood grocery shops,” she recounts.
Sustainability also shapes her vision, though she laughs at her own ambitious early attempts. “I wanted to start a conversation about sustainable materials in design. Why don’t we make them the norm? I even tried making my own recycled plastic material at home, but I quickly realised you need a proper lab for that!”
Through her bold approach, Munira is proving that Emirati design is evolving and creating a new celebration of identity. In every piece she creates, there is a story waiting to be told.
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